Vagabond
by OperaGhost11235
Summary: One day, he just vanished. All that was left was a note, saying thanks and that he went wandering again. Confused and frustrated, Kenshin's companions and friends search for him all over Japan and to its ends, as they discover the hidden struggle that had conquered his life, together with the truth behind it. Post-Kyoto but Pre-Jinchū. KenKao, SanoMegu, AoMi.
1. Prologue: Rain

**Before I start, I would just like to say that I've been **_**dying **_**to write a Rurouni Kenshin fanfic. I've known this show ever since I was a little kid, and it recently appeared back into my life after the event of the live-action movie and the premiere of Kyoto-Taika Hen . I'm not new to this series, but I'm currently trying to re-watch the entire thing to regain my former knowledge, so I'll apologize in advance if some of the canon evidence is wrong. **

**Don't fret though, I'm doing the best I can to correct my any errors.**

**By the way, I don't use honorifics in my stories, but I'll make an exception, just this once, because this is Rurouni Kenshin, and honorifics are **_**everything **_**in this series****. However, I don't mix my English with Japanese, like using "arigatō" or "konichiwa" in mid-sentence. I use direct translations. For example: when Kenshin says a sentence with "de gozaru", I don't use "de gozaru", I use the English translation: "that it is" or "that I am". I also make him use the words "this one" to refer to himself and not "sessha". I do, though, make an effort to use accents like ū, ō, and ī in my stories. Laziness is bad. **

****This prologue is short. Really short, no joke. But it's just a prologue, relax. This story isn't finished yet (how is it when it just started?). However, the other chapters **_**will be long, **_**so just hold on to your hats or horses or whatever. I'm pretty sure the next chapter will **_**definitely **_**be longer. Also, expect a late update, since I have _tons _of stories I'm working on. But don't worry! I like this story, and I'm pretty sure I'll finish this one. ****

**Whelp, on with it! **

**Disclaimer: All rights of Rurouni Kenshin belong to Nobuhiro Watsuki. I own nothing.**

* * *

><p>The moderate night rain drizzled over the city, obscuring stars and the moon from view and chilling the night air ice-cold. Kenshin sat on the veranda of his room, the dim light from it illuminating the small garden outside, the light outlining leaves and pebbles. He breathed a sigh of relief he never knew he held and retied his scruffy red hair in a loose ponytail, then closed his eyes and started to meditate to the sound of the precipitation landing on the roof and on the soil. It wasn't long before he was interrupted by a knock at his door with a familiar voice calling his name.<p>

"Kenshin?"

He spun around to see Kaoru letting herself in, closing the shōji door behind her. She walked towards him quietly and sat down at his side, looking at her wanderer with a concerned expression on her face.

"Kenshin, it's late," she said softly. "You should sleep."

He shook his head. "It's no good. This one tried and couldn't."

"Kenshin, _please_," Kaoru urged. "You haven't been sleeping for weeks. I know that a lot was going on back then, but—"

"It's not about that, Kaoru-dono," Kenshin cut off. "It's just that there have been,"—a brief moment of hesitation—"second thoughts and unanswered questions. Mysteries that this one alone has to solve. It's been plaguing my mind and waking me up every night, and it seems like those thoughts aren't going to leave anytime soon."

"Kenshin, what do you mean?" She gasped as tears sprung in her eyes. "Are you running away?!"

The rurouni said nothing.

"Kenshin!"

"Kaoru-dono, this one cannot promise anything," Kenshin retorted, looking at her with his eyes narrowed. He sighed, bowed his head and stared at the rain. "Please try to understand. This one wants to stay, you know that; you know that better than anyone. But you must know that day will come, the day this one will wander again, and when it comes, be prepared. Promise you will not grieve. This one doesn't want to see Kaoru-dono sad."

Kaoru started to sniffle and she burst into tears. Kenshin tried his best to comfort her by holding her face and wiping his tears with his hand, and at this, she stopped. She looked into his hypnotic violet eyes that lay inches away from hers and used her fingers to trace his jaw. Kaoru knew that life was cruel and could take away whatever it wanted at anytime it wanted. She feared for the day her beloved wanderer would vanish from her life. She knew that day would come soon, and every night she prayed and hoped to herself that he wouldn't leave the next day or that his room wouldn't be empty when she came to wake him up for breakfast. She loved him, she knew, but she was always too afraid to admit it.

She needed him to stay.

"Kenshin…" she murmured, her voice cracking with sorrow. "Don't leave me, _please _don't leave me."

Kenshin smiled softly and pressed his forehead to hers. "This one cannot promise such a thing, for he fears he might break it, and, in doing so, break Kaoru-dono's heart. However, this one _will _promise that he will always remember Kaoru-dono, for the rest of his life and until what will come after."

Kaoru gave a small smile. "Kenshin…"

Kenshin tilted his head to the side and landed his lips on hers ever softy. Kaoru's eyes widened and her face flushed pure red, but she gave in, using her hands to hold his face close. With swift movement, Kenshin untied the blue ribbon holding her hair and let the black waves cascade down her shoulder. After they broke apart, she rested her head against his chest while he used his slender fingers to comb her hair, pressing his lips against long raven-black locks.

The sound of the rain seemed to fade away.


	2. Chapter 1: Search

**Aaaanndd here we go. *Cracks knuckles* **

**Okay, wow, I got off to a good start on this one. Thanks for the reviews and follows and all that, seriously. **

**And wow, the RuroKen archive is slow. Like, I published this story a few weeks ago and it's only a few pages back. Is that normal? Well, I'm guessing it is, since this fandom is **_**really old, **_**and it just came to life again because of the live-action (my case scenario). Either way, it's fine. I'm not expecting this story to go all that far. **

**Anyway, back to business. **

**I told you the prologue was going to be short. Either way, it isn't going to change the fact that this chapter is longer that the previous one. I'm telling you right now, it's hard to get everyone in character (ish), and I'm juggling **_**a lot **_**of canon characters here. I am including every single protagonist (except those who died, of course) in this fic, and **_**will be long**_**. **

**Sanosuke needs to fix his speech pattern. How the hell can you speak like that? You have no idea how many times I had to deal with the autocorrect on this one. **

**Disclaimer: Watsuki owns everything. I am not Watsuki.**

* * *

><p>The bright morning sunlight and chirping of the birds opposed the turbulent cold weather of the night before. Kaoru woke in her bed and stretched with a smile on her face, happier than usual, knowing that she spent last night alone with her beloved Kenshin. The memories were fuzzy and were blurry in her mind, but when she thought about them, they made her happy. She got up and dressed herself, but she noticed her favorite blue ribbon was missing, which, because of her happiness, became the least of her worries, and used an ordinary sash to tie back her hair. She prepared breakfast for Kenshin (even if she doubted <em>so terribly <em>in its taste) and went to his room to wake him up.

She knocked on the shōji door many times all the way until her patience told her to kick it down, but she suppressed her anger and, with the thought he might still be asleep, slid the door open gently.

"Kenshin? Ken…huh…?"

The room was empty. Sure, the futons were neatly folded in place and everything was where it was supposed to be, but there was no rurouni, or even Sakabatō, for that matter, in sight. Kaoru grew nervous and clenched her teeth as her mind made up suspicions and assumptions, and no matter how much she tried to reassure herself, her thoughts scared her.

'Did he…? No…no, he didn't. He wouldn't. Of _course _he wouldn't, right?'

Then she noticed the note on the bed with her name on it. She picked it up and read it.

Her grip on the paper tightened and it crumpled beneath her trembling fingers. She clenched her teeth. Tears that sprung down her eyes crept down her cheek and blotted the inky calligraphy.

She threw the letter down and ran out of the room, burying her sorrows into her hands.

* * *

><p><em>"Kamiya Kaoru-dono, <em>

_"This one writes with regrets in his heart, questions in his mind and a mission for his feet to carry. Even with your advice, sleeping was difficult last night, and due to lack of sleep, revelation came to mind. _

_"There are too many mysteries, too much to ask. And this one fears if he doesn't answer them, his turbulent lifestyle will push to becoming the Battōsai again. There have been numerous instances in my life as a rurouni where I had been forced to fight as the Battōsai: Udō Jin-e, Shinomori Aoshi, and in the light of recent events, Shishio Makoto. _

_"Please do not try and reassure that I won't become a Hitokiri again, because, even as this one fears, it will be bound to happen. Even I wish it wasn't a dark reality, but life is cruel to us at times. This one will wander again, even though I do not wish to. Not because of sadness, anger, or of own volition, but because of questions, responsibility, and missions I know I must accomplish._

_"This one was too afraid to admit it in person and hates himself for not admitting it sooner, but I love you, Kaoru-dono. I love you with all my mistakes, my heart, my being. Apologies for never telling you sooner, this one never found the courage to say it. _

_"You may be sad or grieving, but know this is not the end. This one will still protect you until the day you die, and if I fail, you will be avenged tenfold. You will be beyond harm's reach by my best wishes and hopes, and fear not for your blue ribbon, which you might have noticed was missing, for this one will keep it as a memento of you and your promise. _

_"It will be returned to you. So await its return._

_"This one loves you dearly and wishes you happiness and joy all your life, even in days of my absence. Thank you, my dear Kamiya Kaoru-dono, for everything that you've done for me. _

_"Your beloved wanderer, Himura Kenshin"_

* * *

><p>"What?!"<p>

Kaoru continued to sob in front of her student. She sat on the veranda of the dojo while Yahiko sat opposite to her on a bench, his mouth open in shock. This _had to_ be a joke. It should have been. If it was reality, it was sick.

"What don't you understand?!" Kaoru screamed, tears streaming down her face. "He left! He's gone! Kenshin's _gone!_"

"He_ can't _be gone!" Yahiko screamed in protest. "He hasn't married you yet!"

Kaoru grabbed a frying pan and hit her apprentice square in the head with a gong. "Now's not the time for jokes, you _idiot!_"

"Hey, at it with th' mornin' comedy routines already?"

Both Kaoru and Yahiko stopped and saw Sanosuke stepping out into the veranda, yawning sleepily and scratching the back of his already messy head. It was obvious that he didn't get enough sleep last night. He pocketed his hands and looked curiously at the two bickering.

"What happened?" the former Zanza asked curiously. He turned to Kaoru, since her tear-stained face wasn't usually in the morning agenda. "Miss, what's wrong?"

It took a short pause and a few sniffles before she burst into tears again, so Yahiko answered for her. "Kenshin's gone. He left."

Sanosuke flashed a confused and angry look. "_What?!_ Whaddaya mean 'he left'?!"

"He ran away!" Kaoru's yells were choked with sobs. "He went wandering! He _left!_ Need any more?"

Sano held up his hands. "Jeez, Miss, calm down." He sat beside Yahiko and wiped his sleepy face with his hand. "I just, I don't get it. Why would he just _leave? _Did he tell any of ya anythin'? He must've at least said _somethin' _before he left."

Kaoru sniffled a little before speaking. "He told me…he had questions he needed to answer. Like he couldn't rest until they were solved."

"Did he say he was comin' back?"

"I don't know…" Kaoru's voice was shaky.

Sanosuke narrowed his eyes. "When did ya find out he was missin'?"

"Just this morning; his room was empty." She didn't mention the note. That hurt too much to say or explain.

Sano stood up immediately, determination carved on his face. "Well, that means he couldn't have gotten all that far! Whaddaya still sittin' here for? C'mon!"

Before the other two could react, the former fight merchant picked up Yahiko underneath his arm like he was a toy and ran out of the dojo and Kaoru, albeit still quite slow, followed quickly behind him and caught up to them. All of them started yelling Kenshin's name around the block (with exception of Yahiko, who yelled in protest and tried to fight Sano's grip). Never mind the faces they got from passerby, never mind the people who they angered as they pushed past them, never mind the whispers they got from vendors. They yelled Kenshin's name.

"Alright, this is _useless_," Kaoru said after a while of searching, her sadness replaced with determination and frustration. "Sano, go to Megumi's clinic and see if he's there, or ask her if she's seen him lately. Yahiko, you're coming with me to the port. He might have caught a boat ride, for all we know."

And so they split.

* * *

><p>Sanosuke knew the path to Megumi's clinic like the back of his hand. Even if it was quite a far walk (or run) from the dojo, he took frequent trips there. After all, wasn't it normal for a fight enthusiast to go to the doctor once in a while?<p>

Sano ran as fast as his feet could carry him, bumping into morning pedestrians and muttering fast apologies as he tried to make haste. Upon reaching the clinic, he flung the door open, crashing it into the wall, making the bell ring violently upon his entry, and which also took him by surprise. When he looked around, all the waiting seats were empty, due to the fact that the clinic had just opened, and there was someone seated at the desk, reading a book.

"Welcome to—Oh! Sanosuke!"

A woman wearing a purple doctor's robe sat at the reception table, which was full of neatly stacked records and books. She was startled to see the former fight merchant enter, and she stood up to greet him while flattening her robes and fixing her long hair.

"What're you doing here, Sanosuke?" Megumi asked, reaching up to check his face for wounds, to which he flashed an exasperated look. "Another fight downtown? I can't believe it; it's not even nine o'clock in the morning yet—"

Sano removed her hands from his face. "It isn't another fight. Where's Kenshin?"

"I-I don't know," Megumi furrowed her brows in confusion. "What do you mean by that? Isn't he with you?"

"Not this time, no," Sano turned his back on her. "He left wanderin' again. Thanks anyway, g'day."

"Hey, wait!" Megumi yelled. Sano was about to leave the clinic when Megumi grabbed his arm, making his eyes widen with shock and look back at her. "What do you mean 'he went wandering'? What's _that_ supposed to mean?"

"It means what it means," Sano replied, pulling his hand from her grasp. "Sorry, Megumi, no time to waste here." He was going to rush out again, but Megumi stopped him again with another arm tug.

"Hey, I'm coming with you," she said defiantly. "Let's go."

Sanosuke stood baffled. "Whaddabout your work—?"

"Work doesn't start until a few hours," Megumi retorted and dragged him out. "Come on!"

The two continued to search.

Meanwhile, Kaoru, dragging Yahiko behind like a rag doll, went as fast as she could to the port of Tokyo. It was one of the most crowded places in the city, with all the immigrants from the provinces far and wide who had come to the capital for their own personal reasons. There weren't a lot who wanted to escape Tokyo, but Kaoru ran to the area to where boats took boarders and ran around, asking everyone the same question:

"Have you seen a man with red hair and an X-shaped scar?"

The answer she always got was no.

At the port, the duo of master and student happened to bump into Sano and Megumi. They had ran around the port for an hour, screaming Kenshin's name, which had sent whispers around the place and judging glares from the passengers. They pushed through people, cut into lines, and yelled a whole awful lot, so it was near impossible that they couldn't have attracted negative attention. After what seemed like forever, they left the dock, hoping to find Kenshin in another area.

* * *

><p>Immediately after the group of four had left, a man wearing a large-brimmed farmer's hat and concealing in cloth what seemed to be a sword came into the port with his head bowed, so the shadow of the hat could cover his face. He had looked at the destinations of the boats, and majority of them were troublingly expensive, since their destinations were quite far.<p>

Nagasaki. Sendai. Matsue. Niigata.

There was one that struck him. His perfect destination.

He walked up to a man who was ushering passengers into a boat, yelling a price of seven thousand yen for a trip with one two port stops. The stranger reached into his pocket and felt the cold of the coins and the dryness of the bills he had packed for the journey. It was going to be enough.

"Excuse me," the stranger asked the man, just to be sure. "Where is boat this going?"

"Kyoto, good sir," the boat-owner replied, holding out his hand.

The man paused to pull out bills and a couple of coins from his pocket and poured it out into the man's outstretched palm. He walked up the blank into the boat then took a seat somewhere near the back, where it was less crowded with people. He bowed his head even further as more passengers started to pour in, and he clutched the long blue ribbon he held in his hands and used it to ponytail his long hair.

The boat sealed its doors and lurched forward.


	3. Chapter 2: Savior

**Ah, where was I? **

**Oh yeah, right. **

**Anyway, I'm back. I'm working on more stories nowadays because it's the sem break, so bless the sem break. I've been spending this time reading the manga and watching the anime more often so I can bec**__**ome even more familiar to the canon material. Because reading it and seeing it with your own eyes are two **_**very**_** different things.**

**Also, before I start, I'd like to say thanks to the follows, reviews, views, favorites, everything. It makes my day. **

**And another also, I'd like to warn you that I'm basing this canon evidence **_**on the manga**_**, **_**not the anime**__**. **_**I don't know why, I feel like the manga is a more canon basis than the anime, even going as to consider the two slightly different from one another in terms of story. Also, I have OC villains, so if you don't want OC villains, you're free to leave.**

**By the way, suddenly realized. There'll be cursing in this story, I rated it T for reasons of violence and everything else, guys.**

**Well, thanks for the wait, now a long chapter!**

**Disclaimer: Look at that in the sky! See that? It's all the nothing's I've owned! I don't own anything!**

* * *

><p>The Akabeko was noisy and busy during the day, especially in the hours of lunch. While the incomplete Kenshin-gumi waited for their bill, Kaoru continued to cry while Megumi sat beside her, constantly making her gulp glasses of water that poor Tsubame had to fun to and fro to fill up again. Yahiko grumbled in frustration with his arms crossed while Sano sat next to him, putting a fishbone in his mouth. Their conversations added to the noise the restaurant was filled up with.<p>

"I just…I don't get it!" Yahiko asked. "Why would Kenshin just…_leave? _It doesn't make any sense!"

"Yeah," Sano added, leaning back and looking curiously at the young boy, "but Tokyo's pretty big, y'know. I mean, we just searched probably one-fourth of the whole city. He _still _might be here." A pause as he stroked his chin. "Well, now that I think 'bout it, I'm puttin' a big emphasis on th' 'might' there."

"But he has a reason to leave, right?" Megumi asked, rubbing Kaoru's back. "He _has _to have a good reason. Ken-san isn't one to leave without explanation."

"Like…I said…" Kaoru sniffled. "He…he had things he needed to answer by himself."

"So, kinda like a self-search journey or somethin'?" Sano asked, raising an eyebrow.

Kaoru simply shrugged.

"Well, have you thought about what _he _wants?" Megumi asked. "I'm pretty sure he wouldn't want to see you crying. We should understand his wishes. He definitely gave this journey thing a lot of thought, Kaoru-san. He isn't the type to leave you."

There was a silence as all eyes looked upon Kaoru

"Y'know, maybe Megumi's right, Missy," Sanosuke said. "Maybe we should leave him to do his _own_ business. We should trust him. Might be for the best."

Kaoru paused, looked at them with disbelief, and shook her head wildly with her eyes cast to the floor. "What…kind of friends_ are_ you? You'd_ leave_ him?! You know what? You can _all _leave him to do what he wants. But _I _won't!" She slammed her hands on the table and looked up at all of them, new tears brimming in her angered eyes. "He said he loved me, and I _can't _let that go without an answer!"

She immediately gasped and pulled back, suddenly aware of the words that rage pulled out of her mouth.

Shock captured the faces of the three who were listening to her, and Yahiko shattered the silence with a yell.

"_WHAT?!" _

"H…He said he loved me…" Kaoru whimpered, her trembling lips tracing the words. "Kenshin…loved me…"

It wasn't long before she started to sob again.

Yahiko pouted and crossed his arms. "Well, it doesn't really take an idiot to know that."

Kaoru looked up at her student.

"Come on, it's pretty obvious," Yahiko continued to point out. "The way he cares about you, talks about you, helps you out in cooking! It's so sweet it could make me sick." Here stuck out his tongue. "And don't even get me started on that incident with the Kurogasa guy. Honestly, how could you _not _see it?"

Kaoru blinked while Megumi handed to her a glass of water.

"Ehh, you're talkin' like that 'cause _you _can't get a girl," Sano taunted, leaning closer to him to enrage him even more. "You haven't even asked Tsubame-chan out on a date! What a sore _loser!_"

"Hey, look who's talking!" Yahiko yelled back sarcastically. "The oh-so great Zanza! A good prime nineteen years of age and what? Still no lover!" He stuck out his tongue again.

They started to beat each other up, fist to fist.

"Alright, so abandoning him isn't an option then," Megumi said in a reprimanding tone, bringing everyone back to the topic and making Sano and Yahiko stop their ruffian behavior.

"Yeah, real problem here is locatin' him," Sanosuke started to chew on the fish head. "Kenshin travels _fast_; he's probably long-gone by now."

"You don't _expect_ us to chase him, idiot," Yahiko said, earning an annoyed glance from Sano. "All we can do is look for where he is and catch him there."

"Yes," Megumi turned to Kaoru. "So, Kaoru-san, you know Ken-san better than anyone. Where'd you think he'd go?"

Kaoru looked up at them. "I don't know…if I'd have to say anything, I'd say Kyoto…but…"

"Kyoto!" Megumi suddenly exclaimed. "Oh, silly me, I forgot to mention. I'm going to Kyoto tomorrow."

"Huh?" Kaoru asked. "Why?"

"Gensai-sensei wanted to lend me over to a clinic there," Megumi said, smiling. "He said I could help. I'm going to be there in three days time, so don't worry about looking for Ken-san Kyoto. I'll look for him there while I'm working. Sound good?"

Kaoru grinned. "Thank you, Megumi-san."

Megumi filled up the glass with water again. "So don't worry. Best focus about looking for Ken-san here in Tokyo."

"Good then," Yahiko grinned. "That narrows our search. But we better look for him quick. We have to look for him overnight through the _entire _city, or we'll lose him here. We have to search fast, or he might be gone."

"The brat's right," Sano agreed, however, earning a glance from Yahiko. "We need some help."

Kaoru thought for a while then slammed her fist on her palm, signifying an idea. "I got it!" Her face suddenly looked sullen. "But…it's not the wisest…"

"We need everythin' we got, spill it," Sanosuke encouraged.

Kaoru gulped. "We need help from…the Wolf…"

Silence descended upon the table.

"Okay, maybe it's _not _such a great idea," Sano said nervously.

"Come on, it's either that or look for him manually!" Yahiko yelled. "Let's do it, even if we have to ask that jerk."

"Right," everyone said at once.

Tae-san finally came to their table holding a money tray and a small piece of paper. "Here's your bill, Kaoru-san,"

The group looked at the total price, and with their jaws dropped open and wide anxious eyes, looked at each other with expectant faces. That was definitely _a whole lot _of zeroes.

* * *

><p>A sea trip to Kyoto was usually tiresome and long, so, more than often, boats stopped at small town ports to let passengers walk around to stretch their legs from having to sit for too long or satisfy their hunger at food stalls. And by noon, a boat stopped in a port a few miles away from Tokyo. Passengers spilled out from the vessel and the stranger was one of the last to calmly walk out.<p>

The port was small, that was true, but it was full of bustling people that you could easily mistake it for downtown Tokyo. Boat-owners tried to call people into their ships with cheap prices and destinations while vendors stood to another side and tried to sell snacks and delicacies. There were some shopkeepers who also sold toys like pinwheels and marionette puppets and children played near them.

The stranger bought a stick of dango for a fairly good price and sat on a bench, calmly eating and enjoying his treat. Then, all of a sudden, he noticed a young boy running towards his direction, holding a pouch of what seemed to be money, and there were three large men running after him quite a far distance behind. The stranger pushed down his clothed scabbard from his belt to reach the floor, and the boy tripped over it, loosening his grip on the pouch, making it fly into the air. In one swift movement, the stranger stood up and caught it just in time for the three men to come. The boy's face was looking up at the men, still back to the ground, scrambling back as the men gazed at his tear-brimmed fearful eyes. The three men looked at the stranger with satisfaction as he handed their pouch back.

"You should look carefully after your money, that you should," the stranger said.

"Yeah, whatever," one of the men said, taking the pouch. "Now step aside, we're taking the boy."

The boy gasped in shock and tried to hold up his hands as to offer surrender.

The stranger looked at the boy, his cheap old black and white yukata and worn out slippers that have been used and used multiple times and didn't bother to get fixed. His shaking hands were calloused and his pale skin was traumatized with scars and wounds. His rough brown hair spiked like a pineapple, and his matching brown eyes were frozen in utter terror.

The stranger sighed and stepped back in front of the boy, one hand ready on the hilt of his sword, and the other rose up defensively. "That wouldn't be necessary, that it isn't."

The second man frowned. "What the hell are you talking about? 'Course it's needed! And what's with that stupid 'that it is, that it isn't' talk? Move aside."

They strode forward and the stranger took a step back and placed his other hand on his sheath. "I'm afraid you can't do that. You'll have to go through this one first."

"Fine then," the third man grumbled and cracked his knuckles.

He threw a fist at the stranger, but he ended up punching nothing but air; even the boy behind him vanished. The trio spun around to see the stranger there behind them, one hand on the rim of his straw hat and the other holding the collar of the shocked boy. It was as if he teleported in the blink of an eye.

A small whispering crowd started to gather around.

"Too slow," the stranger said, unimpressed, lifting his hat to show purple glaring eyes narrowed into slits. His hand travelled from the rim to his sheath. "Promise this one you will let the boy go and no harm will befall you."

The first man scoffed. "Whatever," He pointed to the rear of the man's head. "What the hell's tying your hair back? Is that a…woman's ribbon?" He started to laugh and his friends started to chuckle around with him.

The stranger narrowed his eyes, enraged. He dropped the boy and put the hand on the hilt of his sword and drew it, the reversed blade gleaming in the noon sunlight. The crowd started to murmur some more but the men, at the sight of the sword, gasped and grew angry.

"What the—?" the second man exclaimed with fury. "Violating the sword ban, aren't you? Who're _you _to be telling us that jailing that thief is wrong when _you_ carry around that thing all high and mighty like a police officer?!"

The stranger gazed at the blade. "This is a Sakabatō. It can't kill anything."

"Yeah," the first man butt in, "but that isn't gonna change the face that it's a sword."

The stranger ignored the man's snarky remark and addressed the young thief instead. "Young boy,"

The boy looked up at the man.

"What is your name?"

"K-Kuroshi," the boy stuttered.

"Very well, Kuroshi-dono," the stranger said, and the boy swore he heard a kind tone in his voice. "Please step back. You might get hurt."

The boy quickly scrambled backwards. No one had ever called him Kuroshi-dono before.

More people started to surround what they thought was a show of sorts, but in actuality, it was a real fight. There was no sound besides the murmuring of the crowd, the hustling of the wind and the sounds of the port, albeit quite muffled a bit since no one focused on it. The only thing that broke the silence was the stranger, who uttered one word that started the conflict.

"Come."

The first man prepared a fist and ran at the stranger with it cocked behind him, and the stranger swiped his sword at his feet as to floor him. The second man came from behind and tried to punch the back of his head, but the stranger ducked with such speed, making his straw hat fly off, and he sidestepped below to reappear behind the second man in one fluid and quick movement. He landed a strong hit on the man's back using the hilt of his sword and grabbed his hat as the second man fell to the ground. The first man got up and tried to sweep the stranger with his leg like he did to him earlier, but the stranger jumped and hit the man square in the stomach as he dashed past him. He put on his hat and sheathed his sword, and only when the sword touched the sheath did the first man fall.

The third man shivered by the side while the stranger adjusted his hat so his glaring purple eyes could be seen.

"I said: come."

The third man, although scared, dashed towards the stranger with a hand in his pocket. The stranger saw the dagger the man concealed inside and read his movements in less than seconds. The stranger ducked and, using both his hands, pushed the dagger out of the man's hand and into the air. Before the third man could notice, the stranger caught the dagger and pointed it at the man's face, just inches away from his nose.

"Who are you to be telling me that I'm violating the sword ban when you carry a dagger around like a criminal?" The stranger's purple eyes narrowed into slits. "Leave now."

The third man looked like he was about to faint. He dropped to the floor, crawled towards his unconscious companions and dragged them away nervously. The stranger tossed away the dagger while the crowd whispered nervously amongst themselves, guessing the identity of the fighter.

"What a strong man! Able to defeat thee at once!"

"Do you think he's a master? A teacher of sorts?"

"But it looks like he did it without effort! He _can't _be!"

"What if he's a Hitokiri?"

"What if he's…Himura Battōsai?"

The stranger sighed and lowered his hat, then asked the crowd to disperse as he denied the Battōsai title they gave him, and also told them all to forget what they saw. They left, slowly but surely, all the way until only the boy and the stranger were alone and the dock resumed its usual noisy self. The stranger knelt in front of the trembling boy, who was both frightened and amazed at the fighting display his savior had used.

"A-Are you really what they say?" Kuroshi shook. "Are you really t-the Battōsai?"

The stranger smiled and lifted his hat a little for the sunlight to shine on the left side of his face; slashed clean upon his cheek was a perfect X-shaped scar. At this sight, the boy stopped trembling and crying and gazed upon the stranger's gentle grin.

His mouth struggled to make the words as he sat up. "R-Red hair…and a crossed-shaped scar on the left cheek…"

The stranger leaned closer to the boy. "Can we keep that a secret? Between you and me?"

Kuroshi nodded, smiling.

"Here," the stranger opened his wallet and gave him a few coins. "You can buy yourself dango or a toy with that money, that you can. Just promise me you won't steal ever again."

The young boy's tears were rolling down his cheeks. "Thank you so much, Sir…"

"Kenshin," the stranger stood up and traced the rim of his hat. "Call me Kenshin."

The stranger called Kenshin walked into the crowd, but after Kuroshi called his name again, he looked back at the boy.

"Kenshin-san!" he asked. "What's with the ribbon around your hair? Don't only women wear those things?"

The stranger smiled and chuckled a bit. "Yes, they do. But it's a promise from someone this one loves, that it is."

Before Kuroshi could call him again, he disappeared into the crowd, as if he vanished into thin air.


End file.
